Phonograph-disk-record cabinet.



No. 798,028- PATE-NTED AUG. 22, 1905.

A. J. FARRELL 3: G. P. NICHOLS. PHONOGRAPH DISK REGORD CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2, 1904.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR J. FARRELL AND CHARLES P. NICHOLS, OF OIL CITY, PENN- SYLVANIA.

PHONOGRAPH-DlSK-RECORD CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1905.

Application filed December 2, 1904- Serial No. 235.250.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR J. FARRELL and CHARLES P. NICHOLS, citizens of the United States, residing at Oil City, in the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, have incabinets wherein any part of the cabinet comes in contact with these fine lines injures the disk and impairs the melody by abrading these lines more or less. For the purpose of obviating the undesirable results produced by the employment of an ordinary cabinet we have constructed a cabinet which will positivel y keep the disks 1n perfect condition, free I from abrasion or injury in any way.

An object of the present invention is to improve the construction of a cabinet whereby the selection of a particular disk is facilitated.

Another object of the invention is to improve the construction of a cabinet or the like, which is provided with means for spacing the disks apart therein and to construct said spacing means so that they may be removed separately without affecting the position of the remaining disks which are positioned within the cabinet.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means for permitting of the positioning of disk records Within a suitable frame and allowing of the disk to be removed therefrom without injuring the disk or the other disks, which are removably secured in a fixed position within the frame.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will he hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevated front view of a cabinet constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cabinet depi'cted in Fig. 1, showing the disks retained therein.

Referring to the drawings by reference-numerals, 1 designates a cabinet, preferably formed rectangular in shape, although it will be obvious that other constructions of the cabinet may be employed without departing from the scope and spirit of the present in- Vention.

Within the cabinet 1 there is positioned upon the inner surface of the top a plurality of narrow guide-strips 2, which do not extend to and engage the back of the cabinet, but terminate contiguous thereto. For the purpose of facilitating the insertion of record-disks between two of the parallel guide-strips 2 we bevel the outer end of each strip across its width, as at 3. Secured across the front of the guide-strips 2 upon the cabinet 1 is an indicating-strip 4, which is preferably formed of metallic material and is provided with numerals, either stamped or inscribed thereupon and arranged consecutively. Each numeral designates a particular groove formed between two contiguous guide-strips 2. A yielding strip 5 is secured approximately in a central position upon the inner side of the back of the casing and is assembled with the casing for the purpose of providing a pad against which the disks will engage when positioned within the cabinet. The back portion of the casing is the only part thereof which is liable to be engaged by the edge of the record-disks, although the disks may possibly engage the top portion thereof. Primarily the yielding strip 5 acts as a buffer against which the disks will impinge when moving down their respective guideways into their normal position within the cabinet.

The pivotal guiding and supporting means for the disks comprises in its construction a plurality of keys 6, which are journaled upon a removable transverse axle-pin 7. The pin 7 is positioned upon the cabinet near the front thereof, so as to permit of each of the keys when in their normal position to produce a sloping guideway toward the rear of the cabinet. Each key 6 is provided with a groove 8, which extends, preferably, throughout the entire length. The keys 6 are alternately beveled upon their outer ends in opposite directions. The alternate beveling of the keys 6 produces a spaced keyboard'which greatly facilitates the operation of the placing and selection of the disks within the cabinet. Furthermore, the beveling of the outer end of each-of the keys as specified produces an upper and lower keyboard.

The keys 6 are normally retained in engagement with the rear portion of the base of the cabinet by means of separate springs 9. Each of the springs 9 engages the grooved portion 8 of the keys 6, said springs 9 being retained upon 'a transverse supporting-bar 10 by means of a retaining-strip 11, which is secured above the strip 10 and positively secures the resilient strips 9, forming the spring, in proper assembled position. The springs 9 are constructed so as to exert a downward pressure upon the pivoted keys, thereby normally retaining all of the keys in a like position when not operated upon for causing movement thereof. Each of the keys being fulcrumed near their outer end performs the function of a lever.

As the keys are numbered in the drawings the odd numbers designate keys which are provided with beveled ends extending downward, while the even numbers designate the keys which are beveled upward. Owing to this construction, the engaging surface of the odd-numbered keys lies in a plane at an angle to the horizontal plane in which the engaging surface of the even-numbered keys are formed.

From the foregoing description and upon referring to the accompanying drawings it will be obvious that opposite each groove formed upon the under surface of the top of the cabinet there is positioned at the bottom of said cabinet a long grooved key, each in juxtaposition, grooved, and consecutively numbered, to be actuated by the fingers similar to a piano-key, hung upon a common axle-pin near the forward portion of the cabinet, and in normal position, slightly sloping toward the rear thereof.

A locking mechanism for retaining the disks within the cabinet is constructed upon the same, which comprises plates 12, pivotally 17 is secured upon the casing and incloses a portion of the spring-catch 15.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the character described, comstationary guiding means prising a casing,

formed upon the upper portion of said casing, pivotally-mounted guiding means positioned within the lower portion of said casing, and means for preventing movement of said movable guiding means.

2. In adevice of the character described, the combination with a casing, of guiding means positioned upon the inner surface of the top portion of said casing, and a pivotally-mounted, spring-pressed key positioned within said casing near the base thereof. g

\ 3. A device of the character described, comprising a casing, guiding means formed upon the upper portion of said casing, a key having a longitudinal groove pivotally mounted within said casing, and means for normally retaining said key in a fixed position.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing, of a grooved structure formed upon the top of said casing, movable, grooved guiding means positioned within said casing near the base thereof, and a spring secured to said casing and engaging said movable means for retaining the same in its normal position. 7

5. In a device of the character described. the combination with a cabinet, of parallel guidestrips positioned within the top of said cabinet, a transverse strip provided with indicating means extending across the front of said guide-strips, a transverse, flexible strip secured within said cabinet to the back thereof, a removable, transverse axle-pin or the like positioned upon said cabinet near the front portion thereof, grooved keys pivotally mounted upon said pin, springs secured near the rear portion of said cabinet, each of said springs adapted to engage a single key for retaining the same in its normal position, and movable, transverse means positioned above said keys and upon the front of said cabinet.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a casing, stationary guiding means formed upon said casing, movable springpressed guiding means positioned upon the casing, and movable locking means positioned upon the front of said casing above said movable guiding means.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a casing, guiding means carried by the top portion of said casing, movable guiding means carried near the bottom of said casing, and movable locking means positioned upon the front of said casing above said movable'guiding means, comprising a transverse strip pivotally secured to the sides of said casing, and a spring-catch positioned upon said casing and adapted to engage and retain said strip in a fixed position against the front of said casing.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cabinet, of guiding means formed upon the top portion of said cabinet, transverse locking means positioned upon the front of said casing, and movable guiding means positioned near the bottom of said casing, comprising a transverse member, grooved keys positioned upon said member, said keys alternately beveled upon their outer ends in opposite directions, and means for normally preventing movement of said keys.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cabinet, of locking means positioned upon the front of said cabinet, guiding means formed upon the top portion of said cabinet, a key fulcrumed near one end thereof within said cabinet, a spring or the like engaging the inner portion of said key for normally retaining the same in a sloping position toward the rear of said cabinet.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cabinet, of a grooved structure formed .upon the upper portion thereof,

movable locking means positioned upon the front portion of said cabinet, a plurality of movable guiding-keys positioned within said cabinet and sloping toward the rear end thereof, and means for normally retaining said keys in said sloping position.

11. A device of the character described, comprising a casing, guiding means formed. in the upper portion thereof, locking means positioned upon the front of said casing, yielding means positioned within and extending across the back of said casing, and oscillatory guiding means mounted within said casing.

12. In a device of the character described,the combination with a cabinet, of locking means extending across the front thereof, a grooved structure formed upon the top portion of said cabinet and extending approximately the length thereof, a spring-pressed, movable, grooved key secured within the cabinet, and indicating means formed upon the top portion of said casing.

13. A device of the character described,comprising a casing, an upper and a lower guiding means formed in said casing, transverse fastening means positioned upon the front of said casing, an indicating-strip secured to the front of said casing, and yielding means secured within and to the back of said casing.

14:. A device of the character described, comprising a casing, tilting, guiding members carried by said casing, the outer face of said members being constructed for forming an upper and lower keyboard.

15. A device of the character described, comprising a casing, tilting supporting members carried by said casing, said members having their outer ends beveled for forming an upper and lower keyboard.

16. A device of the character described, comprising a casing, tilting supporting-keys carried by said casing, said keys alternately beveled upon their outer ends, for providing an upper and lower keyboard.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR J. FARRELL. CHARLES P. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

JOHN M. MCGIL D. OSSIFF. 

